Configurable Circuits, IC&#39;s, and Systems

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes a logic circuit for receiving input data sets and configuration data sets and performing several functions on the input data sets. Each configuration data set specifies a particular function that the logic circuit has to perform on the input data set. The IC also includes a connection circuit for supplying sets of the configuration data to the logic circuit at a particular rate for at least a particular time period. At least two supplied configuration data sets are different and configure the logic circuit to perform two different functions on the input data.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed towards configurable circuits, IC's,and systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of configurable integrated circuits (“IC's”) has dramaticallyincreased in recent years. One example of a configurable IC is a fieldprogrammable gate array (“FPGA”). An FPGA is a field programmable ICthat has an internal array of logic circuits (also called logic blocks)that are connected together through numerous interconnect circuits (alsocalled interconnects) and that are surrounded by input/output blocks.Like some other configurable IC's, the logic circuits and interconnectcircuits of an FPGA are configurable.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configurable logic circuit 100. Thislogic circuit can be configured to perform a number of differentfunctions. As shown in FIG. 1, the logic circuit 100 receives a set ofinput data 105 and a set of configuration data 110. The configurationdata set is stored in a set of SRAM cells 115. From the set of functionsthat the logic circuit 100 can perform, the configuration data setspecifies a particular function that this circuit has to perform on theinput data set. Once the logic circuit performs its function on theinput data set, it provides the output of this function on a set ofoutput lines 120. The logic circuit 100 is said to be configurable, asthe configuration data set “configures” the logic circuit to perform aparticular function, and this configuration data set can be modified bywriting new data in the SRAM cells.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a configurable interconnect circuit200. This interconnect circuit 200 connects a set of input data 205 to aset of output data 210. This circuit receives configuration data bits215 that are stored in a set of SRAM cells 220. The configuration bitsspecify how the interconnect circuit should connect the input data setto the output data set. The interconnect circuit 200 is said to beconfigurable, as the configuration data set “configures” theinterconnect circuit to use a particular connection scheme that connectsthe input data set to the output data set in a desired manner. Moreover,this configuration data set can be modified by writing new data in theSRAM cells.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of the interconnect circuit 200. Thisexample is a 4-to-1 multiplexer 300. Based on the configuration bits 215that this multiplexer receives, the multiplexer 300 passes one of itsfour inputs 205 to its output 305. FIG. 4 illustrates a decoder 400,which is another example of the interconnect circuit 200. Based on theconfiguration bits 215 that this decoder receives, the decoder 400passes its one input 405 to one or more of its outputs 210, while havingthe outputs that are not connected to the input at a constant value(e.g., ground or VDD) or at a high impedance state.

FPGA's have become popular as their configurable logic and interconnectcircuits allow the FPGA's to be adaptively configured by systemmanufacturers for their particular applications. Also, in recent years,several configurable IC's have been suggested that are capable ofreconfiguration at runtime. However, there has not been much innovationregarding IC's that can configure one or more times during one clockcycle. Consequently, most reconfigurable IC's take several cycles (e.g.,tens, hundreds, or thousands of cycles) to reconfigure.

Recently, some have suggested a new type of configurable IC that iscalled a via programmable gate array (“VPGA”). U.S. Pat. No. 6,633,182(“the '182 patent”) discloses such configurable circuits. This patentdefines a VPGA as a configurable IC similar to an FPGA except that in aVPGA the programmability is provided by modifying the placement of viasrather than modifying data bits stored in a memory. As further stated inthis patent, in the interconnect structure of a VPGA, the programmableinterconnect point is a single via, which replaces several transistorsin an FPGA.

There is a need in the art for configurable IC's that use novel VPGAstructures. There is also a need in the art for configurable IC's thatcan configure at least once during each clock cycle. Ideally, theconfigurable IC can configure multiple times within one clock cycle.Such configurability would have many advantages, such as enabling an ICto perform numerous functions within any given clock cycle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments of the invention provide a configurable integratedcircuit (IC). The IC includes a logic circuit for receiving input datasets and configuration data sets and performing several functions on theinput data sets. Each configuration data set specifies a particularfunction that the logic circuit has to perform on the input data set.The IC also includes a connection circuit for supplying sets of theconfiguration data to the logic circuit at a particular rate for atleast a particular time period. At least two supplied configuration datasets are different and configure the logic circuit to perform twodifferent functions on the input data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth in the appendedclaims. However, for purpose of explanation, several embodiments of theinvention are set forth in the following figures.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a configurable logic circuit.

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate several example of configurable interconnectcircuits.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of the interconnect circuit.

FIGS. 5 and 6 present two examples of interface circuits of IC's.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a sub-cycle signal generator.

FIGS. 8-10 present an example that illustrates how a larger, slower ICdesign can be implemented by a smaller, faster IC design.

FIG. 11 illustrates a sub-cycle configurable logic circuit of someembodiments of the invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates a complex logic circuit that is formed by four LUT'sand an interconnect circuit.

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate three logic circuits that are three examples ofthe logic circuit of FIG. 11.

FIG. 16 illustrates a logic circuit of another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 17 illustrates a sub-cycle configurable interconnect circuit ofsome embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate two examples of the interconnect circuit ofFIG. 17.

FIG. 20 illustrates the interconnect circuit of some embodiments of theinvention.

FIG. 21 illustrates a VPA interconnect circuit of some embodiments ofthe invention.

FIG. 22 presents an example that illustrates the setting of vias in aVPA structure of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 illustrates another VPA interconnect circuit of some embodimentsof the invention.

FIG. 24 conceptually illustrates a process that transforms a non-VPAconfigurable interconnect circuit into a VPA configurable interconnectcircuit.

FIG. 25 illustrates an example of VPA configurable logic circuits.

FIG. 26 presents an example that illustrates the setting of vias in aVPA structure of a logic circuit.

FIG. 27 illustrates an example of the invention's VPA configurable logiccircuit, which has phase bits as part of its VPA structure.

FIG. 28 illustrates an example of the setting of certain vias in the VPAof FIG. 27.

FIG. 29 illustrates a portion of a configurable IC that has an array oflogic circuits and interconnect circuits.

FIG. 30 illustrates a traditional microprocessor design.

FIG. 31 illustrates a configuration data pool for the configurable IC.

FIG. 32 illustrates an IC that has an array of non-traditionalprocessing units and configurable interconnects.

FIG. 33 conceptually illustrates a more detailed example of a computingsystem that includes an IC of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, numerous details are set forth for purposeof explanation. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will realizethat the invention may be practiced without the use of these specificdetails. For instance, not all embodiments of the invention need to bepracticed with the specific number of bits and/or specific devices(e.g., multiplexers) referred to below. In other instances, well-knownstructures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order not toobscure the description of the invention with unnecessary detail.

I. DEFINITIONS

Some embodiments of the invention are circuit elements that can beconfigured within “sub-cycles” of a “design cycle” or an “interfacecycle” of an IC. An IC typically has numerous clocks that are used tosynchronize its operations. A clock typically has a number of repetitivecycles. A clock also has a period and a frequency (also called a rate).A clock's period is the temporal duration of one of its repetitivecycles, while its frequency (or rate) is the inverse of its period. Forexample, a clock with a 10 ns period has a frequency of 100 MHz.

The design clock rate (or frequency) of an IC or a portion of an IC isthe clock rate for which the design of the IC or the portion of the IChas been specified. In some cases, the design clock rate is defined asone over the duration of time between the fastest, stable (i.e.,non-transient) change in a state of the design (e.g., the fastest changein an output of the design). When the design is a Register TransferLevel (RTL) design, the design clock rate can be the clock rate forwhich the user specifies his or her design in a hardware definitionlanguage (HDL), such as VHDL or Verilog.

An interface rate of an IC is the rate at which the IC communicates withother circuitry. For instance, in some cases, an IC's interface rate isthe rate that an interface circuit of the IC passes signals to and/orreceives signals from circuits outside of the IC. An IC can have one ormore interface circuits, and these interface circuits can have the sameor different interface rates. FIGS. 5 and 6 present two examples ofinterface circuits. FIG. 5 illustrates an IC 500 that has fourone-directional interface circuits 505, 510, 515, and 520 that operateat three different interface rates. Specifically, the interface circuit505 receives input at a first rate R1, the interface circuit 510receives input at a second rate R2, the interface circuit 515 providesoutput at a third rate R3, and the interface circuit 520 provides outputat a first rate R1. FIG. 6 illustrates an IC 600 that has twobi-directional interface circuits 605 and 610 that operate at the sameinterface rate of R5.

An alternative term for an IC's interface rate is an input/output rateof the IC. An interface cycle is one over the interface rate, while adesign cycle is one over the design rate. A sub-cycle of a design orinterface cycle is a portion of the design or interface cycle. In thediscussion of sub-cycle configurable circuits below, the term “primarycycle” refers to either a design cycle or an interface cycle. Similarly,the term “primary clock” refers to either a design clock or an interfaceclock.

In some embodiments, a primary cycle's period is broken into severalsub-cycles of equal duration. For instance, a 10 ns cycle can be brokeninto 10 sub-cycles of 1 ns each. Some embodiments use sub-cycle signalgenerators that generate sub-cycle clocks and/or signals that have somerelation with the primary clock but have faster rates than the primaryclock. For instance, in some embodiments, the sub-cycle clocks and/orsignals are derived from the primary clock. In some embodiments, thesub-cycle clocks and/or signals have rates that share a least commonmultiple with the rate of the primary clock. Also, in some embodiments,the sub-cycle clocks and/or signals are aligned with the primary clockon at least some of their edge transitions. In some of theseembodiments, each sub-cycle that falls within a particular cycle of theprimary clock is referred to as a “phase.”

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a sub-cycle signal generator 700. Thisgenerator receives a primary clock 705 and generates a sub-cycle clock710 that is four times faster than the received clock. Hence, as shownin FIG. 7, the sub-cycle clock has four phases φ0, φ1, φ2, φ3, duringeach cycle of the received clock. The sub-cycle signal generator canprovide configurable circuit elements with its sub-cycle clock. Inconjunction with this clock, or instead of this clock, the generator canprovide configurable circuit elements with a signal whose value canchange in each sub-cycle period. For instance, in FIG. 7, the sub-cyclesignal generator 700 generates a 2-bit phase signal, with four differentvalues 00, 01, 10, and 11. These four values represent the foursub-cycles during each primary cycle. In this figure, these generatedphase signals change in each sub-cycle and reset at the start of eachperiod of the received clock.

Although FIG. 7 shows these phase signals as changing sequentially,these phase signals change in a non-sequential manner in someembodiments. Also, in some embodiments, the order of the phase signalsin each period of the received clock can differ, e.g., in one clockperiod the phase bits might appear as 00, 10, 11, 01, and in the nextclock period the phase bits might appear as 11, 10, 01, 00. In someembodiments, the sub-cycle signal generator can generate phase signalsthat have different ordering in different primary cycles by generatingthe phase bits based not only on the primary clock signal but also onprogramming signals that it receives. Such programming signalsprogrammably direct the sub-cycle signal generator to generate differentphase signals at different times.

Moreover, in some or all primary cycles, the sub-cycle signal generatorcan generate a phase signal that does not utilize all possible phase bitpermutations or that utilizes one or more of the phase bit permutationsmore than once during a primary cycle. Furthermore, the sub-cycle signalgenerator might use different encoding schemes (e.g., a Gray codeencoding scheme, a one-hot encoding scheme, etc.) to generate its phasesignals. Also, a primary cycle might be divided into more or fewer thanfour sub-cycles.

Some embodiments of the invention are IC's with sub-cycle configurablelogic and interconnect circuits. As further described below, aconfigurable logic circuit is a circuit that can be configured toperform a set of functions on a set of input data that it receives. Thelogic circuit receives a set of configuration data that cause the logiccircuit to perform a particular function within its set of functions onthe input data set. The logic circuit then outputs the result of thisfunction as a set of output data. A logic circuit is sub-cycleconfigurable if the logic circuit can be configured one or more timeswithin one primary cycle to perform more than one function. In otherwords, such a logic circuit can be reconfigured one or more times in aprimary cycle. In some of the embodiments described below, the sub-cycleconfigurable logic circuits can be reconfigured to perform a newfunction within each sub-cycle of a primary cycle.

A configurable interconnect circuit is a circuit that can configurablyconnect an input set to an output set in a variety of manners. Aninterconnect circuit receives a configuration data set that causes theinterconnect circuit to connect its input set to its output set in aparticular manner. An interconnect circuit is sub-cycle configurable ifit can be configured one or more times within one primary cycle tochange the way it connects the input and output sets. In other words, asub-cycle configurable interconnect circuit is a configurableinterconnect circuit that can be reconfigured one or more times within aprimary cycle. In some of the embodiments described below, a sub-cycleconfigurable interconnect circuit can be reconfigured within eachsub-cycle of a primary cycle to change its connection scheme.

Examples of sub-cycle configurable logic and interconnect circuits willbe provided below in Sections III-VI below. However, before providingthese examples, the benefit of sub-cycle reconfiguration will be firstdescribed in Section II.

II. SUB-CYCLE CONFIGURATION

Sub-cycle configurability has many advantages. One advantage is that itallows a larger, slower IC design to be implemented by a smaller, fasterIC design. FIGS. 8-10 present an example that illustrates this benefit.FIG. 8 illustrates a set of Boolean gates that compute two functions G3and P3 based on a set of inputs A0, B0, A1, B1, A2, and B2. The set ofBoolean gates has to compute these two functions based on the receivedinput set in one design cycle. In this example, one design cycle lasts10 ns, as the design clock's frequency is 100 MHz. However, in thisexample, the technology could easily operate at 400 MHz. Hence, eachdesign cycle can be broken down into 4 sub-cycles of 2.5 ns duration.

FIG. 9 illustrates the design 800 of FIG. 8 after its gates have beenplaced into four groups. These gates have been placed into four groupsin order to break down the design 800 into four separate groups of gatesthat can be configured and executed in four sub-cycles by a smallergroup of gates. The groupings illustrated in FIG. 9 are designed toseparate out the computation of different sets of gates while respectingthe operational dependencies of other gates. For instance, gates 805,810, and 815 are defined as a separate group from gates 820, 825, and830, as these two sets of gates have no operational dependencies (i.e.,the output of the gates in one set is not dependent on the output of thegates in the other set). As these two sets of gates have no operationaldependencies, one set is selected for computation during the firstsub-cycle (i.e., during phase 1), while the other set is selected forcomputation during the second sub-cycle (i.e., during phase 2). On theother hand, gates 835, 840, and 845 are dependent on the outputs of thefirst two sets of gates. Hence, they are designated for configurationand execution during the third sub-cycle (i.e., during phase 3).Finally, the gate 850 is dependent on the output of the first and thirdsets of gates, and thus it is designated for configuration and executionduring the fourth sub-cycle (i.e., during phase 4).

FIG. 10 illustrates another representation of the design 800 of FIG. 8.Like FIG. 9, the schematic in FIG. 10 illustrates four phases ofoperation. However, now, each gate in the design 800 has been replacedby a sub-cycle configurable logic circuit 1005, 1010, or 1015. Also,only three logic circuits 1005, 1010, and 1015 are used in FIG. 10, aseach of the gates in FIG. 8 can be implemented by one logic circuit, andthe groupings illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 require at most 3 gates tobe executing during any given phase. (In FIG. 10, each logic circuit'soperation during a particular phase is identified by a superscript; so,for example, reference numbers 1005 ¹, 1005 ², and 1005 ³, respectively,identify the operation of the logic circuit 1005 during phases 1, 2, and3.)

As shown in FIG. 10, the outputs of certain logic circuits in earlierphases need to be supplied to logic circuit operations in the laterphases. One of ordinary skill will realize that such earlier outputs canbe preserved for later computations by using state elements (such asregisters) that are operated at the sub-cycle frequency. Such stateelements (not shown) can be standalone circuit elements or can part ofone or more sub-cycle configurable interconnect circuits (not shown)that are configured to connect the logic circuits in the desired manner.

Accordingly, FIGS. 8-10 illustrate that sub-cycle configurability allowsa ten-gate design that operates at 100 MHz to be implemented by threesub-cycle configurable logic circuits and associated configurableinterconnect circuits and state elements that operate at 400 MHz. Itshould be noted that even fewer than three logic circuits might benecessary if one logic gate can perform the operation of two or moregates that are executing during each phase illustrated in FIG. 9.

III. SUB-CYCLE CONFIGURABLE LOGIC CIRCUIT

FIG. 11 illustrates a sub-cycle configurable logic circuit 1100 of someembodiments of the invention. This logic circuit includes a core logiccircuit 1105 that can perform a variety of functions on a set of inputdata 1110 that it receives. The core logic circuit 1105 also receives aset of four configuration data bits 1115 through a switching circuit1120. The switching circuit receives a larger set of sixteenconfiguration data bits 1125 that, in some embodiments, are stored in aset of memory cells 1130 (e.g., SRAM cells). This switching circuit iscontrolled by a phase φ, which is generated by the above-describedsub-cycle signal generator 700.

As described above and illustrated in FIG. 7, the generator 700 in someembodiments generates a phase signal that is a 2-bit phase signal, whichhas a value that changes sequentially during each sub-cycle period andresets at the start of each primary cycle period. However, in otherembodiments, the sub-cycle signal generator 700 generates a phase signalin other sequential or non-sequential manners with different orderingand/or encoding schemes.

During each phase (i.e., each sub-cycle), the switching circuit suppliesfour configuration data bits 1115 to the logic circuit 1105. In someembodiments, the switching circuit is a set of four multiplexers 1140. Amultiplexer is any device that can select k-of-n signals, where k and nare any integer values. Multiplexers include pass transistors, sets oftri-stated buffers or transistors, or any device that can select k-of-nsignals. During each sub-cycle, each multiplexer 1140 supplies one offour configuration bits that it receives to the logic circuit 1105. Oneof ordinary skill will realize that other switching circuits andsub-cycle generators can be used in other embodiments of the invention.

Based on the set of configuration data 1115, the logic circuit 1105performs on the input data set 1110 a particular function from the setof functions that it can perform. As the switching circuit 1120 cansupply different configuration data sets 1115 to the logic circuit 1105during different sub-cycles, the logic circuit 1105 can be configured toperform different functions on the input data set 1110 during differentsub-cycles.

The core logic circuit 1105 has a set of n output lines 1145, where n isan integer. This circuit provides the result of performing itsconfigured function on the input data set 1110 along its output lines1145. These output lines provide the output of the overall logic circuit1100.

The core logic circuit 1105 is different in different embodiments of theinvention. In some cases, a logic circuit 1105 is nothing more than aswitching circuit that routes one or more of the input data bits to oneor more of the output lines based on the value of the configurationdata. However, in other cases, the logic circuit 1105 does not simplyroute a selection or a permutation of the input data set to the outputdata set but rather performs computations on the input data set toderive the output data set.

Any number of known logic circuits (also called logic blocks) can beused in conjunction with the invention. Examples of such known logiccircuits include look-up tables (LUT's), universal logic modules(ULM's), sub-ULM's, multiplexers, and PAL/PLA. Also, logic circuits canbe complex logic circuit formed by multiple logic and interconnectcircuits. For instance, FIG. 12 illustrates a complex logic circuit 1200that is formed by four LUT's 1205 and an interconnect circuit 1210. Oneof ordinary skill will realize that the illustration of the logiccircuit 1200 is a simplification that does not show several circuitelements (e.g., fast-carry logic, etc.) that are commonly in complexlogic circuits. This illustration is provided only to convey theprinciple that more complex logic circuits are often formed by combiningsimpler logic circuits and interconnect circuits. Examples of simple andcomplex logic circuits can be found Architecture and CAD forDeep-Submicron FPGAs, Betz, et al., ISBN 0792384601, 1999.

FIGS. 13-15 illustrate three logic circuits 1300, 1400, and 1500, whichare three examples of the logic circuit 1100. In these three examples,the core logic circuits 1305, 1405, and 1505 (which are oneimplementation of the core logic circuit 1105 of FIG. 11) aremultiplexers. The logic circuits 1300, 1400, and 1500 are allcommutative with respect to the ordering of the input data set 1110 andthe sub-cycle signals 1150. Specifically, labeling the two input signalsas I1 and I2 and the two sub-cycle signals as φi and φj, the logiccircuits 1300, 1400, and 1500 all provides the same output for the sameconfiguration data set 1125, even though the ordering of the sub-cyclesignals and the input data sets is different in these three examples.

FIG. 16 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. This embodimentis a logic circuit 1600 that, like the logic circuit 1100 of FIG. 11,can be reconfigured in each sub-cycle. However, unlike the logic circuit1100 that can be configured in a non-sequential manner when thesub-cycle signal generator 700 provides a non-sequential signal, thelogic circuit 1600 is only configured in a sequential manner.Specifically, the logic circuit 1600 has a core logic circuit 1105 and asequential circuit 1610. The sequential circuit 1610 provides the corelogic circuit 1105 with a configuration data set in each sub-cycle. Inthis example, four shift registers 1615 form the sequential circuit1610. Each shift register stores one configuration data set. At thestart of each sub-cycle period, the shift registers pass their content(i.e., their configuration data bits) to each other in acounterclockwise manner as illustrated in FIG. 16 (i.e., 1615 a passesits content to 1615 b, 1615 b passes its content to 1615 c, 1615 cpasses its content to 1615 d, and 1615 d passes its content to 1615 a).Also, at the start of each sub-cycle period, the configuration data setin the register 1615 d is supplied to the logic circuit 1105.

Based on the set of configuration data that it receives, the logiccircuit 1105 selects, from the set of functions that it can perform, aparticular function to perform on its input data set 1110. As thesequential circuit 1610 can supply different configuration data sets tothe logic circuit 1105 during different sub-cycles, the logic circuit1105 can be configured to perform different functions on the input dataset during different sub-cycles. The core logic circuit 1105 providesits output (i.e., provides the result of performing the configuredfunction on the input data set 1110) along its set of n output lines1145.

IV. SUB-CYCLE CONFIGURABLE INTERCONNECT

FIG. 17 illustrates a sub-cycle configurable interconnect circuit 1700of some embodiments of the invention. This circuit configurably connectsa set of input data terminals 1710 to a set of output data terminals1715 based on a set of configuration data 1720. This interconnectcircuit includes a core interconnect circuit 1705 that receives an inputdata set along the input data terminals 1710 and provides an output dataset along the output data terminals 1715. The core interconnect circuit1705 also receives the configuration data set 1720 through a switchingcircuit 1725. The switching circuit receives a larger set ofconfiguration data bits 1730 that, in some embodiments, are stored in aset of memory cells 1130 (e.g., SRAM cells). This switching circuit iscontrolled by a phase φ, which is generated by the sub-cycle signalgenerator 700.

As described above and illustrated in FIG. 7, the generator 700 in someembodiments generates a phase signal that is a 2-bit phase signal, whichhas a value that changes sequentially during each sub-cycle period andresets at the start of each primary cycle period. However, in otherembodiments, the sub-cycle signal generator 700 generates a phase signalin other sequential or non-sequential manners, with different orderingand/or encoding schemes.

During each phase (i.e., each sub-cycle), the switching circuit 1725supplies two of the eight configuration data bits 1730 as theconfiguration data set 1720 to the interconnect circuit 1705. In FIG.17, two multiplexers 1740 form the switching circuit. During eachsub-cycle, each multiplexer 1740 supplies one of four configuration bitsthat it receives to the interconnect circuit 1705. In FIG. 17, a two-bitphase value is written next to each configuration bit that is receivedby each switching multiplexer 1740. These two-bit values identify theconfiguration bit associated with each pair of phase bits. One ofordinary skill will realize that other switching circuits and/orsub-cycle signal generators can be used in other embodiments of theinvention.

Based on the set of configuration data 1720 that it receives, theinterconnect circuit 1705 connects the input terminal set 1710 to theoutput terminal set 1715. As the switching circuit 1725 can supplydifferent configuration data sets 1720 to the interconnect circuit 1705during different sub-cycles, the interconnect circuit 1705 candifferently connect the input terminal set 1710 to the output terminalset 1715 during different sub-cycles. The output terminal set 1715provides the output of the overall interconnect circuit 1700 in someembodiments.

The core interconnect circuit is different in different embodiments ofthe invention. Any number of known interconnect circuits (also calledinterconnects or programmable interconnects) can be used in conjunctionwith the invention. Examples of such interconnect circuits includeswitch boxes, connection boxes, switching or routing matrices, full- orpartial-cross bars, etc. Such interconnects can be implemented using avariety of known techniques and structures. Examples of interconnectcircuits can be found Architecture and CAD for Deep-Submicron FPGAs,Betz, et al., ISBN 0792384601, 1999.

As shown in FIG. 17, the input terminal set 1710 is a first set oflines, while the output terminal set 1715 is a second set of lines. Thesecond set of lines might be collinear with the first set of lines, ormight be in a direction that is offset (e.g., is at 90°) from the firstset of lines. Alternatively, some of the second set of output linesmight be collinear with some of the first set of input lines, whileother second-set lines might be at an angle with respect to some of thefirst-set lines.

In some embodiments, the interconnect circuit 1700 is bi-directional.Specifically, in these embodiments, the interconnect circuit can usesome or all of the terminal set 1710 to receive input data signalsduring some sub-cycles, while using the same terminals to supply outputdata signals during other sub-cycles. Similarly, in these embodiments,the interconnect circuit can use some or all of the terminal set 1715 tosupply output data signals during some sub-cycles, while using the sameterminals to receive input data signals during other sub-cycles.

Although the interconnect circuit 1700 is shown as a sub-cycleconfigurable interconnect circuit in FIG. 17, this circuit 1700 is notsub-cycle configurable in other embodiments of the invention. In theseother embodiments, in place of the phase signal φ 1150, this circuitreceives a control signal whenever a new configuration data set needs tobe supplied to the core interconnect circuit 1705. In some embodiments,this control signal has a frequency that is as fast as or faster thanthe primary clock rate. In other embodiments, this control signal's rateis slower than the primary clock rate. Alternatively, the control signalmight not have any predictable rate.

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate two examples 1800 and 1900 of interconnectcircuit 1700. In FIG. 18, the core interconnect circuit 1805 is a 4-to-1multiplexer that connects during any given sub-cycle one of its fourinput lines 1710 to its one output line 1718, based on the configurationdata set 1720 that the multiplexer receives along its select lines. Byhaving the ability to change the configuration data set 1720 during eachsub-cycle, the multiplexer 1805 can be configured to connect a differentinput line to its output line during each sub-cycle.

In FIG. 19, the core interconnect circuit 1905 is a 1-to-4 decoder.Based on the configuration data set 1720 that it receives along itsconfiguration lines, this decoder connects during any given sub-cycleits input line 1710 to one or more of its output lines 1715, whilehaving the outputs that are not connected to the input set at a constantvalue (e.g., ground or VDD) or to a high impedance state. By having theability to change the configuration data set 1720 during each sub-cycle,the decoder 1905 can be configured to connect a different set of outputlines to its input line during each sub-cycle.

FIG. 20 illustrates another embodiment of the invention. This embodimentis an interconnect circuit 2000 that, like the interconnect circuit 1700of FIG. 17, can be reconfigured in each sub-cycle. However, unlike theinterconnect circuit 1700 that can be configured in a non-sequentialmanner when the sub-cycle signal generator 700 provides a non-sequentialsignal, the interconnect circuit 2000 can only be configured in asequential manner. Specifically, the interconnect circuit 2000 has acore interconnect circuit 1705 and a sequential circuit 1610. In thisexample, the sequential circuit 1610 is identical to the sequentialcircuit 1610 of FIG. 16. In other words, it is formed by four-shiftregisters 1615, where each shift register (1) stores one configurationdata set during each sub-cycle and (2) passes its configuration data setto another shift register in a counterclockwise direction (that is shownin FIG. 20) at the start of each sub-cycle. Also, at the start of eachsub-cycle period, the configuration data set in the register 1615 d issupplied to the interconnect circuit 1705 of the circuit 2000.

The interconnect circuit 1705 then connects the input data set 1710 tothe output data set 1715 based on the set of configuration data thatthis circuit receives. As the sequential circuit 1610 can supplydifferent configuration data sets to the interconnect circuit 1705during different sub-cycles, the interconnect circuit 1705 can beconfigured to connect the input and output data sets differently duringdifferent sub-cycles.

V. CONFIGURABLE INTERCONNECT CIRCUIT WITH VIA PROGRAMMABLE STRUCTURE

Sections V and VI describe several interconnect and logic circuits withvia programmable structures. This description refers to vias, potentialvias, via programmable arrays, and VPGA's. A via is connection betweentwo wires (e.g., two conductive lines) on two different wiring layers.Vias can be defined in an IC in a variety of ways (e.g., by defining acut between two layers, by defining two electrical structures or deviceson two different layers that can establish an electrical connection atruntime, etc.) If the wires are on two layers that have one or moreintervening wiring layers, the via might be formed as a set of stackedvias, where each via in the stack is between two adjacent layers.

A potential via is a site in an IC design for possibly defining a via. Avia programmable array (VPA) is a set of vias or potential vias for aparticular configurable interconnect or logic circuit. A configurableVPA interconnect or logic circuit is an interconnect or logic circuitthat has an associated VPA. In some of the embodiments described below,configuration data for a configurable interconnect or logic circuit isprovided to the circuit by defining certain vias in the circuit'sassociated VPA.

A. Structure

FIG. 21 illustrates an interconnect circuit 2100 of some embodiments ofthe invention. For a given phase signal 1150 and configuration data set1730, the interconnect circuit 2100 can be used in place of theinterconnect circuit 1700. The interconnect circuit 2100 includes a VPA2105 and a core interconnect circuit 2110, which directly receives thephase signal 1150. The VPA structure 2105 is formed by two sets of linesthat overlap. Typically, the two sets of lines appear on two differentwiring layers of the IC, although these lines might appear on three ormore layers in some embodiments. The first set is a set of input lines2115, while the second set is a set of lines 2120 that are the inputs ofthe core logic circuit 2110. As shown in FIG. 21, each line in the firstset overlaps each line in the second set at a 90° angle. In otherembodiments, each line in the first set might not overlap every line inthe second set, and/or each overlap might not be at a 90° angle.

As shown in FIG. 21, the VPA structure 2105 includes a potential via2125 at each location where a line in the first set 2115 overlaps a linein the second set 2120. When the values of the phase signals 1150 andthe configuration data set 1730 are known for the interconnect circuit1700, certain vias in the array of potential vias can be set (i.e.,defined) based on these values to complete the definition of theinterconnect circuit 2100.

FIG. 22 presents an example that illustrates the setting of vias in aVPA structure 2204. Specifically, this example illustrates how a non-VPAinterconnect circuit 2250 can be transformed into a sub-cycleconfigurable VPA interconnect circuit 2200. The non-VPA interconnectcircuit 2250 is similar to the above described interconnect circuit 1805of FIG. 18. Just like the interconnect circuit 1805, the interconnectcircuit 2250 includes (1) a set of configuration storage elements 1130,(2) a switching circuit 1725 that is formed by two 4-to-1 multiplexers1740, and (3) a core 4-to-1 multiplexer 1805.

The interconnect circuit 2200 includes a 4-to-1 multiplexer 2202 and aVPA 2204. The multiplexer 2202 and the VPA 2204 together subsume all thefunctionalities of the switching multiplexers 1740, configurationstorage elements 1130, and 4-to-1 multiplexer 1805 of the interconnectcircuit 2250, when the configuration data set 1730 has the valuesillustrated in FIG. 22 and the phase signal has values 00, 01, 10, and11. In FIG. 22, a two-bit value is written next to each bit that isreceived by a 4-to-1 multiplexer 1740 to identify the bit associatedwith each received pair of bits. Similarly, a two-bit configurationvalue is written next to each input line that is received by the coremultiplexer 1805 to identify the input line associated with eachpossible configuration data set.

At any given time, the 4-to-1 multiplexer 1805 connects one of its fourinput lines 1710 to its one output line 1715, based on the configurationdata set 1720 that the multiplexer receives along its select lines. Forthe configuration data set 1730 illustrated in FIG. 22, the interconnectcircuit 1805 receives 01, 00, 10, and 11 as the configuration data set1720 as the phase signal φ cycles through the values 00, 01, 10, and 11.The phase signal φ does not need to proceed through the values 00, 01,10, and 11 in any particular order or frequency. However, in someembodiments, this signal passes through these values in sequence andchanges values in each sub-cycle.

Based on the configuration data set 1720 that it receives, theinterconnect circuit 1805 connects one of its input lines to its outputline 1715. Specifically, it connects its output line 1715 to (1) inputI2 when the phase is 00 (as this circuit receives the configuration data01 during this phase), (2) input I1 when the phase is 01 (as thiscircuit receives the configuration data 00 during this phase), (3) inputI3 when the phase is 10 (as this circuit receives the configuration data10 during this phase), and (4) input I4 when the phase is 11 (as thiscircuit receives the configuration data 11 during this phase).

In FIG. 22, the vias that are defined in the VPA structure 2204 areillustrated as black boxes. These defined vias allow the interconnectcircuit 2200 to connect its input and output sets 2115 and 2225 in thesame manner as the interconnect circuit 1805 in FIG. 22, for the phasesignal values 00, 01, 10, and 11. Specifically, like the output line1715 of the interconnect circuit 1805, the output line 2225 connects (1)to input line I2 through via 2205 during phase 00, (2) to input line I1through via 2210 during phase 01, (3) to input line I3 through via 2215during phase 10, and (4) to input line I4 through via 2220 during phase11.

The migration from a non-VPA interconnect structure to a VPAinterconnect structure not only eliminates the configuration bits andswitching circuit, but it can also change the core interconnect circuit.FIG. 23 presents an example that more clearly illustrates thistransformation. This figure illustrates a VPA interconnect circuit 2300and a non-VPA interconnect circuit 2305 that are functionally equivalentfor a given phase signal and configuration data set.

The non-VPA circuit 2305 is similar to the non-VPA interconnect circuit2250 illustrated in FIG. 22, except that instead of the 4-to-1multiplexer 1805 and two switching multiplexers 1740, it uses an 8-to-1multiplexer 2310 and three switching multiplexers 1740. Each of thethree switching multiplexers 1740 is controlled by the two-bit phasesignal φ of the sub-cycle signal generator 700. As before, in someembodiments, this phase signal has the values 00, 01, 10, and 11,although it can have a different set of phases in other embodiments asdescribed above. The three switching multiplexers act as a switchingcircuit 2380 that outputs four 3-bit configuration values during thefour phases. (As before, the two-bit phase values are written next toeach configuration bit that is received by each 4-to-1 multiplexer toshow the configuration bit associated with each pair of phase bits.) The8-to-1 multiplexer 2310 receives these 3-bit values 2325 on its selectlines, and, based on each set of three values, connects one of its 8inputs 2315 to its output 2320. (A three-bit configuration value iswritten next to each input line of the 8-to-1 multiplexer to show theinput bit associated with possible configuration data set.)

For the configuration data set 2330 illustrated in FIG. 23, themultiplexer 2310 receives 001, 100, 110, and 011 as the configurationdata set 2325, while the phase signal φ cycles through the values 00,01, 10, and 11. As before, the phase signal φ does not need to proceedthrough all the values or through the values 00, 01, 10, and 11 in anyparticular order or frequency. However, in some embodiments, this signalpasses through these values in sequence and changes values in eachsub-cycle.

Based on the configuration data set 2325 that it receives, theinterconnect circuit 2310 connects one of its input lines 2315 to itsoutput line 2320. Specifically, it connects its output line 2320 to (1)input I2 when the phase is 00 (as this circuit receives theconfiguration data 001 during this phase), (2) input I5 when the phaseis 01 (as this circuit receives the configuration data 100 during thisphase), (3) input I7 when the phase is 10 (as this circuit receives theconfiguration data 110 during this phase), and (4) input I4 when thephase is 11 (as this circuit receives the configuration data 011 duringthis phase).

As mentioned above, the VPA interconnect circuit 2300 illustrated inFIG. 23 is equivalent to the non-VPA interconnect circuit 2305 for theconfiguration data set and phase bits illustrated in this figure. Theinterconnect circuit 2300 includes a 4-to-1 multiplexer circuit 2350 anda VPA 2355, which together subsume all the functionalities of theswitching multiplexers 1740, configuration storage elements 1130, and8-to-1 multiplexer 2310.

The VPA structure 2355 is formed by two sets of lines that overlap.Typically, the two sets of lines appear on two different wiring layersof the IC, although these lines might appear on three or more layers insome embodiments. The first set of overlapping lines is a set of eightinput lines 2315, while the second set of overlapping lines is a set offour lines 2360 that are the inputs of the multiplexer 2350. As shown inFIG. 23, each line in the first set is at a 90° angle to each line inthe second set. In other embodiments, each line in the first set mightnot overlap every line in the second set, and/or each overlap might notbe a 90° angle.

As shown in FIG. 23, the VPA structure 2355 includes a potential via2365 at the overlap of each first-set line 2315 and each second-set line2360. FIG. 23 identifies as black boxes the vias that need to be definedin the VPA structure 2355, so that the interconnect circuit 2300 canconnect its input and output sets 2315 and 2370 in the same manner asthe interconnect circuit 2305. Specifically, with these defined vias,the output line 2370 of the VPA interconnect circuit 2300 connects to(1) input line I2 through via 2372 during phase 00, (2) input line I5through via 2374 during phase 01, (3) input line I7 through via 2376during phase 10, and (4) input line I4 through via 2378 during phase 11.This connection scheme is identical to the connection scheme of theinterconnect circuit 2305 as described above.

VPA interconnect circuits (such as circuits 2100, 2200, and 2300) haveseveral advantages. For instance, they do not use costly SRAM cells tostore configuration data. Instead, they encode such configuration datain their VPA's. VPA interconnects are also very efficient switchingcircuits, as they avoid much of the transistor switch logic of non-VPAinterconnect circuit by using vias for their switching. In other words,non-VPA interconnect circuits supply configuration data throughswitching and storage circuits that have many transistors on the ICsubstrate. Such switching requires signals to traverse back and forthbetween the higher wiring layers and the IC substrate. VPA interconnectsavoid these space- and time-consuming switching and storage circuits bydefining vias that act as switches between two wiring layers. Hence,IC's that use VPA interconnects can be smaller and faster thantraditional configurable IC's (e.g., FPGA's) while having cheaper masksthan traditional ASIC's.

B. Process for Transforming a Non-VPA Configurable Interconnect Circuitto a VPA Configurable Interconnect Circuit

FIG. 24 conceptually illustrates a process 2400 that transforms anon-VPA configurable interconnect circuit into a VPA configurableinterconnect circuit. This process will be explained by reference to theabove-described example that was illustrated in FIG. 23. As shown inFIG. 24, the process 2400 initially selects (2405) a sub-cycleconfigurable non-VPA interconnect circuit to transform to a VPAconfigurable interconnect circuit. For instance, at 2405, the processselects non-VPA configurable interconnect circuit 2305 of FIG. 23. Theselected non-VPA interconnect circuit typically includes a coreinterconnect circuit (e.g., the interconnect circuit 2310 of FIG. 23)and a switching circuit (e.g., the switching circuit 2380 of FIG. 23)that supplies a configuration data set to the core interconnect circuitduring each sub-cycle.

Next, at 2410, the process specifies a VPA interconnect circuit, whichincludes a core interconnect circuit and a VPA structure. The coreinterconnect circuit and the VPA structure of the VPA circuit arespecified based on the core interconnect circuit of the selected non-VPAcircuit, the number of sub-cycles, and the number of inputs. In theexample illustrated in FIG. 23, there are only four sub-cycles. Duringeach of these four cycles, the core interconnect circuit 2310 relays thesignal from one of its input lines 2315 to its one output line 2320.Accordingly, for this example, the process specifies (at 2410) a coreinterconnect circuit that has at least one output line and at least fourinput lines. Also, given that the core interconnect circuit 2310receives eight input lines, the VPA structure that is specified at 2410needs to be eight lines wide in the input signal direction. Accordingly,these minimum requirements result in the specification (at 2410) of the4-to-1 multiplexer 2350 and VPA structure 2355 of FIG. 23.

After specifying (at 2410) the structure of the VPA interconnectcircuit, the process 2400 (at 2415) selects one of the sub-cycles andidentifies the configuration data set that is received during thissub-cycle by the core interconnect circuit of the non-VPA circuit. Forinstance, in the example illustrated in FIG. 23, the process could (at2415) select the sub-cycle 00 and thus identify 001 as the configurationdata set 2325 during this sub-cycle.

Next, at 2420, the process 2400 identifies the state of the coreinterconnect circuit during the selected sub-cycle for the identifiedconfiguration data set. For instance, in the example illustrated in FIG.23, the process determines (at 2420) that the core interconnect circuit2310 relays the signal from the input line 12 to its output line 2320when it receives the configuration data set 001 during the sub-cycle 00.

Based on the state of the interconnect circuit that it identified at2420, the process 2400 then defines (at 2425) one or more vias in theVPA structure that was specified at 2410. In the example illustrated inFIG. 23, the process defines (at 2425) the via 2372 to allow the inputI2 to be communicatively coupled to the output line 2370 of the VPAcircuit 2300 during the sub-cycle 00.

After 2425, the process determines (at 2430) whether it has examined allof the sub-cycles. If not, the process (at 2415) selects anothersub-cycle and identifies the configuration data set that is receivedduring this sub-cycle by the core interconnect circuit of the non-VPAcircuit. The process then transitions back to 2420 to identify the stateof the core interconnect circuit during the selected sub-cycle for theidentified configuration data set and then to 2425 to define a via inthe VPA structure to account for this state. In this manner, the process2400 loops through 2415-2430 until it defines a via in the VPA structureto account for all the possible states of the non-VPA interconnectcircuit. For example, after identifying via 2372 in the exampleillustrated in FIG. 23, the process loops through 2415-2430 three moretimes to define vias 2374, 2376, and 2378 to account for the connectionof inputs I5, I7, and I4 during sub-cycle phases 01, 10, and 11. Whenthe process 2400 determines (at 2430) that it has examined the non-VPAcircuit's operation during all potential sub-cycles, the process 2400terminates.

VI. CONFIGURABLE LOGIC CIRCUIT WITH VPA STRUCTURE

Some embodiments of the invention are VPA configurable logic circuits.FIG. 25 illustrates an example of one such logic circuit 2500. As shownin this figure, the VPA configurable logic circuit 2500 is functionallyequivalent to the logic circuit 1100 of FIG. 11. The only structuraldifference between the logic circuits 2500 and 1100 is that the memorycells 1130 of the logic circuit 1100 have been replaced by a VPAstructure 2505 in logic circuit 2500.

The VPA structure 2505 is formed by two sets of lines that overlap.Typically, the two sets of lines appear on two different wiring layersof the IC, although these lines might appear on three or more layers insome embodiments. The first set includes two lines 2510, one of whichcarries the 0 value, while the other carries the 1 value. The second setof lines is a set of lines 2515 that are the inputs of the multiplexers1140. As shown in FIG. 11, each line in the first set overlaps each linein the second set at a 90° angle. In other embodiments, each line in thefirst set might not overlap every line in the second set, and/or eachoverlap might not be at a 90° angle.

The VPA structure 2505 includes a potential via 2520 at each locationwhere a line in the first set 2510 and a line in the second set 2515overlap. When the values of the configuration data set stored in thememory cells 1130 are known for the logic circuit 1100, certain vias inthe array of potential vias can be set (i.e., defined) to complete thedefinition of the logic circuit 2500.

FIG. 26 presents an example that illustrates the setting of vias in aVPA structure of a logic circuit. Specifically, this example illustratesa particular configuration data set 1125 for the logic circuit 1100. Forthis set of configuration data, FIG. 26 then illustrates sixteen blackboxes in the VPA structure 2505 that represent the vias that are definedin this structure 2505. These defined vias allow the logic circuit 2500in FIG. 26 to perform the same function as the logic circuit 1100 inFIG. 26.

In some embodiments, the invention's VPA configurable logic circuitshave phase bits as part of their VPA structure. FIG. 27 illustrates anexample of one such embodiment. Specifically, this figure illustrates aVPA configurable logic circuit 2700 that is functionally equivalent tothe VPA configurable logic circuit 2500 of FIG. 25 and, hence,functionally equivalent to the non-VPA configurable logic circuit 1100for a known configuration data set and phase signal.

The structure of the logic circuit 2700, however, has two differencesfrom the logic circuit 2500. First, the 4-to-1 switching multiplexers oflogic circuit 2500 have been replaced by 2-to-1 switching multiplexers2740 that are controlled by only the phase bit φj. Second, the otherphase bits φi and its complement φi′ are part of the VPA structure 2705of the logic circuit 2700. Specifically, the VPA structure 2705 isformed by two sets of overlapping lines 2710 and 2715. The first set2710 includes four lines, two of which carry the 0 and 1 values, whilethe other two carry the phase bit φi and its complement φi′. The secondset of lines 2715 are inputs to the multiplexers 2740. As shown in FIG.27, each line in the first set overlaps each line in the second set at a90° angle. In other embodiments, each line in the first set might notoverlap every line in the second set, and/or each overlap might not beat a 90° angle.

The VPA structure 2705 includes a potential via 2720 at the intersectionof each first-set line 2710 and each second-set line 2715. For aparticular configuration data set that is stored in the memory cells1130 of the logic circuit 1100 or that is embedded in the VPA structure2505 of the logic circuit 2500, certain vias in the VPA 2705 of thelogic circuit 2700 can be set (i.e., defined) to complete the definitionof the logic circuit 2700.

FIG. 28 illustrates an example of the setting of certain vias in the VPA2705. In this example, the defined vias are shown as black boxes. InFIG. 28, the vias are defined in the VPA 2705 to allow the logic circuit2700 in this figure to function equivalently to the logic circuits 1100and 2500 as configured in FIG. 26. Like logic circuit 1300, 1400, and1500, the logic circuits 2500 and 2700 of FIGS. 25-28 are commutativewith respect to the ordering of the input data set and the sub-cyclesignals when the core logic circuits 1105 in these circuits is amultiplexer or some other logic circuit that is commutative. Hence, insome embodiments, the invention's VPA configurable logic circuits canhave input bits as part of its VPA structure.

VII. CONFIGURABLE IC AND SYSTEM

FIG. 29 illustrates a portion of a configurable IC 2900 that has anarray of logic circuits 2905 and interconnect circuits 2910. A logiccircuit 2905 can be any of the configurable logic circuits illustratedin FIGS. 11-16 and 25-28, or it can include several of the configurablelogic circuits illustrated in FIGS. 11-16 and 25-28. Similarly, aninterconnect circuit 2910 can be any configurable interconnect circuitdescribed above by reference to FIGS. 17-21, or it can include severalof the configurable interconnect circuits illustrated in these figures.Alternatively, in some embodiments, some or all of the logic orinterconnect circuits illustrated in FIG. 29 might not be configurable.

As shown in FIG. 29, the IC 2900 has two types of interconnect circuits2910 a and 2910 b. Interconnect circuits 2910 a connect interconnectcircuits 2910 b and logic circuits 2905 (i.e., connect logic circuits2905 to other logic circuits 2905 and interconnect circuits 2910 b, andconnect interconnect circuits 2910 b to other interconnect circuits 2910b and logic circuits 2905). Interconnect circuits 2910 b, on the otherhand, connect interconnect circuits 2910 a to other interconnectcircuits 2910 a.

As shown in FIG. 29, the IC 2900 includes several signal generators 2902that control the reconfiguration of the circuits 2905 and 2910. In someembodiments, the signal generators are sub-cycle signal generators thatgenerate signals that enable some or all of the logic circuits to besub-cycle configurable, as described above. In some embodiments, thesignal generators are not directly connected to all logic andinterconnect circuits that they control. For instance, in some of theseembodiments, the signals from these generators are routed to theappropriate configurable circuits through the configurable interconnectcircuits 2910.

Although two signal generators are illustrated in FIG. 29, otherconfigurable IC's of the invention use more or fewer signal generators.For instance, the configurable IC's of some embodiments might only haveone signal generator, or might not have a signal generator but insteadmight connect to a signal generator outside of the IC.

In some embodiments, the configurable IC 2900 has a large number oflogic and interconnect circuits (e.g., hundreds, thousands, etc. of suchcircuits). The configurable IC's of some embodiments might employdifferent architectures for arranging their logic and interconnectcircuits. For instance, some embodiments might use a LAB architecture (alogic-array-block architecture), other symmetrical or asymmetricalarchitectures. Some embodiments might also use some of the architecturalarrangements disclosed in United States patent application entitled“Configurable Integrated Circuit Architecture,” filed on concurrentlywith this application, with the Express Mail Number EV321686256US. ThisApplication is incorporated in the present application by reference.

In some embodiments, all logic circuits or large sets (e.g., hundreds)of logic circuits of the configurable IC have the same circuit structure(e.g., the same circuit elements and wiring between the circuitelements). Similarly, in some embodiments, the configurable IC will haveall of its interconnect circuits or large sets (e.g., hundreds) of itsinterconnect circuits have the same circuit structure. Re-using the samecircuit structure for a large set of logic circuits or a large set ofinterconnect circuits simplifies the design and manufacturing of theconfigurable IC. Alternatively, some embodiments might use numerousdifferent structures for their logic circuits and/or their interconnectcircuits.

In some embodiments, the logic circuits of the configurable IC 2900 arenot traditional processing units that use traditional microprocessordesigns (such as the Von Neumann design). FIG. 30 illustrates atraditional microprocessor design. A typical microprocessor 3000 oftenoperates by repetitively performing fetch, decode, and executeoperations. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 30, a microprocessortypically has an instruction processing pipeline that (1) fetches anencoded instruction from a program 3005 in memory 3010, (2) decodes thisinstruction, (3) executes the decoded instruction, and (4) writes theresult of the execution back to memory. The program is generated from afixed set of encoded instructions upon which the design of themicroprocessor is based. A microprocessor's instruction processingpipeline often includes an instruction fetch unit 3015 for fetchinginstructions, a decoder 3020 for decoding the instructions, and one ormore processing units 3025 for executing the decoded instruction. Amicroprocessor might have several instruction processing pipelines inorder to perform several fetch-decode-execute cycles in parallel. Insuch cases, the microprocessor often has a separate decoder for eachpipeline. As shown in FIG. 30, a traditional microprocessor usesseparate address and data buses 3030 and 3035 to identify locations inmemory to read and write.

As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the logic circuits 2905 of theconfigurable IC 2900 do not use traditional microprocessor designs. Thisis because these logic circuits do not employ a fetch-decode-executeoperational cycle. Instead, these logic circuits (1) can directlyreceive configuration data sets that configure the logic circuits toperform certain operations, and (2) can directly pass the results oftheir operations to other logic circuits.

FIG. 31 illustrates a more detailed example of this. Specifically, thisfigure illustrates a configuration data pool 3105 for the configurableIC 2900. This pool includes N configuration data sets (CDS). This poolis stored in one or more memory/storage units, such as SRAMs, DRAMs,Flash, shift registers, disk, etc.

As shown in FIG. 31, an input/output circuitry 3120 of the configurableIC 2900 routes different configuration data sets to differentconfigurable logic and interconnect circuits of the IC 2900. The I/Ocircuitry 3120 can directly route numerous configuration data sets tonumerous configurable circuits without first passing the configurationdata through one or more decoders. Also, a configuration data set (CDS)might be sent to numerous (e.g., 5) different configurable circuits(e.g., configurable logic circuits 3125).

For instance, FIG. 31 illustrates configurable circuit 3145 receivingconfiguration data sets 1, 3, and J through the I/O circuitry, whileconfigurable circuit 3150 receives configuration data sets 3, K, and N−1through the I/O circuitry. In some embodiments, the configuration datasets are stored within each configurable circuit. Also, in someembodiments, a configurable circuit can store multiple configurationdata sets so that it can reconfigure quickly by changing to anotherconfiguration data set. In some embodiments, some configurable circuitsstore only one configuration data set, while other configurable circuitsstore multiple such data sets.

In configurable IC 2900, the logic circuits can receive as input datathe outputs of other logic circuits (i.e., the logic circuits can passthe result of their operations to other logic circuits without firstwriting these results in memory and having other logic circuits retrievethese results from memory). For example, in FIG. 31, the logic circuit3150 might pass its output to the logic circuit 3160 through theinterconnect circuit 3155 without first storing this output in a memoryoutside of the circuit array 3100 illustrated in this figure.

In some embodiments, some of the logic circuits 2905 of the configurableIC 2900 of FIG. 29 do not use traditional microprocessor designs, whileother logic circuits 2905 use traditional microprocessor designs. Forinstance, in some embodiments, some logic circuits 2905 of the IC 2900are Von Neumann processors that use the fetch-decode-execute operationalcycle described above. In other embodiments, all the logic circuits 2905of the IC 2900 are traditional, Von Neumann processors.

Yet in other embodiments, the configurable IC 2900 includes (1) an arrayof configurable logic circuits that do not use a traditional processordesign, and (2) processor units outside of the array that use atraditional processor design. FIG. 32 illustrates one such example.Specifically, this figure illustrates the IC 2900 as having an array3220 of non-traditional processing units 2905 and configurableinterconnects 2910. The processing units are logic circuits that areconfigured and operated according to the approach illustrated in FIG.31. FIG. 32 also shows the IC 2900 as having one on-chip processor 3205that follows the traditional Von Neumann design that was described abovein FIG. 30. This on-chip processor 3205 can read and write instructionsand/or data from an on-chip memory 3210 or an offchip memory 3215. Theprocessor 3205 can communicate with the configurable array 3220 throughmemory 3210 and/or 3215 through on-chip bus 3225 and/or off-chip bus3230. The buses 3225 and 3230 collectively represent all conductivepaths that communicatively connect the devices or components illustratedin FIG. 32.

FIG. 33 conceptually illustrates a more detailed example of a computingsystem 3300 that includes an IC 3305 of the invention. This system 3300can be a stand-alone computing or communication device, or it can bepart of another electronic device. As shown in FIG. 33, the system 3300not only includes the IC 3305, but also includes a bus 3310, a systemmemory 3315, a read-only memory 3320, a storage device 3325, inputdevices 3330, output devices 3335, and communication interface 3340.

The bus 3310 collectively represents all system, peripheral, and chipsetinterconnects (including bus and non-bus interconnect structures) thatcommunicatively connect the numerous internal devices of the system3300. For instance, the bus 3310 communicatively connects the IC 3305with the read-only memory 3320, the system memory 3315, and thepermanent storage device 3325.

The configuration data pool is stored in one or more of these memoryunits in some embodiments of the invention. Also, from these variousmemory units, the IC 3305 receives data for processing and configurationdata for configuring the IC's configurable logic and/or interconnectcircuits. When the IC 3305 has a processor, the IC also retrieves fromthe various memory units instructions to execute. The read-only-memory(ROM) 3320 stores static data and/or instructions that are needed by theIC 3305 and other modules of the system 3300. The storage device 3325,on the other hand, is read-and-write memory device. This device is anon-volatile memory unit that stores instruction and/or data even whenthe system 3300 is off. Like the storage device 3325, the system memory3315 is a read-and-write memory device. However, unlike storage device3325, the system memory is a volatile read-and-write memory, such as arandom access memory. The system memory stores some of the instructionsand/or data that the IC needs at runtime.

The bus 3310 also connects to the input and output devices 3330 and3335. The input devices enable the user to enter information into thesystem 3300. The input devices 3330 can include touch-sensitive screens,keys, buttons, keyboards, cursor-controllers, microphone, etc. Theoutput devices 3335 display the output of the system 3300.

Finally, as shown in FIG. 33, bus 3310 also couples system 3300 to otherdevices through a communication interface 3340. Examples of thecommunication interface include network adapters that connect to anetwork of computers, or wired or wireless transceivers forcommunicating with other devices. One of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that any other system configuration may also be used inconjunction with the invention, and these system configurations mighthave fewer or additional components.

One of ordinary skill will realize that the configurable circuits, IC's,and systems described above have numerous advantages. For instance, thelogic and interconnect circuits can reconfigure and execute multipletimes within one design or interface cycle, as they are sub-cycleconfigurable. By configuring and executing these circuits on a sub-cyclebasis, a smaller, faster IC can be specified. Such a smaller, faster ICcan be used to implement the design of a larger, slower IC, at afraction of the cost for manufacturing the larger IC.

Also, several of the invention's logic and interconnect circuits can bereconfigured in a non-sequential manner. Rather, each of these circuitscan be reconfigured to perform a number of operations in a number ofarbitrary sequences. These circuits can be reconfigured in such anon-sequential manner because the sub-cycle signal generator 700 cangenerate a sub-cycle signal that has no particular pattern, which, inturn, allows these circuits to supply any desirable, arbitrary sequenceof configuration data sets to their core interconnect or logic circuits.

On the other hand, the signal generator in some embodiments generates asub-cycle signal that has a pattern that may or may not sequentiallyincrement or decrement through all possible values of the signal. Suchflexibility in the signal generation and the architecture of theconfigurable circuits provides tremendous gains in speed and size of theconfigurable IC.

While the invention has been described with reference to numerousspecific details, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatthe invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. For instance, although FIG. 29illustrates an IC with homogenous architectures, the IC's of otherembodiments might use heterogeneous architectures (e.g., SOCarchitectures) such as the one illustrated in FIG. 32.

Also, the VPA circuits of FIGS. 21-28 are sub-cycle reconfigurable VPAinterconnect circuits as they receive a sub-cycle signal 1150. In otherembodiments, however, these interconnect circuits might not be sub-cyclereconfigurable. For instance, they might receive a different set ofsignals than the phase signal 1150.

One of ordinary skill will also realize that there might be interveningdevices between the logic and/or interconnect circuits described above.For instance, in the logic circuit 1100 of FIG. 11, buffers can beplaced between the multiplexers 1140 and circuit 1105 and/or after thecircuit 1105. Buffer circuits are not logic or interconnect circuits.Buffer circuits can be used to achieve one or more objectives (e.g.,maintain the signal strength, reduce noise, delay signal, etc.) forconnections between circuits. Inverting buffer circuits also allow an ICdesign to reconfigure logic circuits less frequently and/or use fewertypes of logic circuits. In some embodiments, buffer circuits are formedby one or more inverters (e.g., two or more inverters that are connectedin series).

Alternatively, the intermediate circuits between the logic and/orinterconnect circuits can be viewed as a part of the devices illustratedin these figures. For instance, the inverters that can be placed afterthe devices 1105 and 1140 can be viewed as being part of these devices.Some embodiments use such inverters in order to allow an IC design toreconfigure logic circuits less frequently and/or use fewer types oflogic circuits

Also, although several of the above-described embodiments reconfigureboth interconnect and logic circuits, one of ordinary skill will realizethat some embodiments do not reconfigure both interconnect and logiccircuits. For instance, some embodiments only reconfigure interconnectcircuits on a sub-cycle basis. Some of these embodiments might neverreconfigure the logic circuits, or might reconfigure these circuits at aslower rate than the sub-cycle rate.

In addition, although FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate IC's with dedicatedinterface circuits, one of ordinary skill will realize that IC's of someembodiments do not have dedicated interface circuits. For instance, insome embodiments, the IC's have circuits that are reconfigured intointerface circuits periodically to receive or output signals.

Although some of the timing diagrams show the sub-cycle phases asfalling completely within a primary cycle, one of ordinary skill willunderstand that the sub-cycle phases might be offset by some amount fromtheir associated primary cycles. Thus, one of ordinary skill in the artwould understand that the invention is not to be limited by theforegoing illustrative details, but rather is to be defined by theappended claims.

1-38. (canceled)
 39. An integrated circuit (IC) that has a firstinterface rate for exchanging signals in at least one direction with acircuit outside of the IC, the IC comprising: a plurality ofreconfigurable circuits; each particular reconfigurable circuit in theplurality of reconfigurable circuits for reconfiguring at a second ratefaster than the first interface rate, wherein the second rate is aninteger multiple of the first interface rate.
 40. The IC of claim 39,wherein the exchanging comprises sending and receiving.
 41. The IC ofclaim 39, wherein the exchanging comprises one of sending and receiving.42. The IC of claim 39 further comprising a signal generator forgenerating a configuration signal for selecting configuration data forthe plurality of reconfigurable circuits.
 43. The IC of claim 39,wherein the circuit outside of the IC is a memory.
 44. The IC of claim39, wherein during a plurality of reconfiguration periods at least aplurality of the reconfigurable circuits are reconfigured faster thanthe first interface rate.
 45. The IC of claim 39 further comprising aninterface circuit for communicating with the circuit outside of the ICat the first interface rate.
 46. The IC of claim 45, wherein the firstinterface rate is a fastest rate that any interface circuit of the ICexchanges signals with a circuit outside of the IC.
 47. The IC of claim45, wherein the first interface rate is a slowest rate that anyinterface circuit of the IC exchanges signals with a circuit outside ofthe IC.
 48. The IC of claim 39, wherein the plurality of reconfigurablecircuits comprises a plurality of reconfigurable logic circuits and aplurality of reconfigurable interconnect circuits.
 49. The IC of claim42, wherein the first interface rate defines an interface cycle, whereinthe signal generator is a sub-cycle signal generator that generates asub-cycle signal that has more than one cycle during an interface cycle.50. An electronics system comprising: an integrated circuit (IC) thathas a first interface rate for exchanging signals in at least onedirection with a circuit outside of the IC, the IC comprising at leastone reconfigurable circuit, wherein a first reconfigurable circuit isreconfigured at a second rate faster than the first interface rate,wherein the second rate is an integer multiple of the first interfacerate.
 51. The electronics system of claim 50 further comprising a memorycommunicatively coupled to the IC for storing data.
 52. The electronicssystem of claim 50, wherein the IC further comprises multiple interfacecircuits for communicating with circuitry outside of the IC, wherein atleast one of the interface circuits is for communicating with thecircuit outside of the IC at the first interface rate.
 53. Theelectronics system of claim 52, wherein the first interface rate isfaster than a first operational rate of at least a second interfacecircuit, but slower than a second operational rate of a third interfacecircuit.
 54. The electronics system of claim 50, wherein the IC furthercomprises a signal generator for generating a configuration signal thatcauses a plurality of reconfigurable circuits on the IC to reconfigureat a reconfiguration rate that is faster than the first interface rate.55. The electronics system of claim 50, wherein the circuit outside ofthe IC is a memory.
 56. A method of operating an integrated circuit (IC)comprising a reconfigurable circuit for reconfigurably performing aplurality of operations, the method comprising: exchanging signals in atleast one direction with a circuit outside of the IC at a firstinterface rate; and based on a plurality of different configuration datasets, reconfiguring the reconfigurable circuit at a second rate fasterthan the first interface rate, wherein the second rate is an integermultiple of the first interface rate.
 57. The method of claim 56,wherein the reconfigurable circuit reconfigures when the configurationdata set that specifies the operation of the reconfigurable circuitchanges from a first configuration data set to a second configurationdata set.
 58. The method of claim 56, wherein the exchanging comprisesat least one of: sending signals from circuits inside the IC to circuitsoutside the IC; and receiving signals from circuits outside the IC tocircuits inside the IC.
 59. The method of claim 56, wherein the firstinterface rate is the rate that an interface circuit of the IC exchangessignals with circuits outside of the IC.